“Jirga” held responsible for karo-kari killings
HYDERABAD – Rights groups in Sindh organized rallies and seminars on December 10, to mark the International Human Rights Day. They held the archaic Jirga system responsible for karo-kari killings and criticized big land owners for explicating land less peasants.
They said the worst kind of terrorism had engulfed the country where even mosques and Imambargah were not safe. They demanded that places of worship should be protected so that people could pray without any fear.
In Hyderabad, the Society for Human Awareness, Development and Empowerment, Hari Sangat, Green Rural Development, Liberal Forum and Azad Hari Union organized a joint rally outside the press club.
Speaking on the occasion, Ashok Kumar advocate, Taj Kaimkhani, Rofin Wilson and Saba Bhatti said innocent men and women were being killed in the country on the pretext of karo-kari and peasants were subjected to unlawful labour.
They said people were being exploited on different pretexts and the government had deprived children of health and educational facilities. They said women were being discriminated against and anti-narcotics agencies had failed to check the proliferation of drugs.
They appealed to the government to take effective steps to protect human rights of underprivileged and downtrodden people specially minorities, haris, women and children. Pakistan Human Rights Forum, led by Mehboob Sangi, Wazir Ali, Mumtaz Shaikh and Ghaffar Soomro, staged a demonstration outside the press club.
They condemned lawlessness in Sindh and demanded that Sindh government should take effective measures for the recovery of kidnapped judges and other people. Sindh National Council held a seminar in a local hotel which was attended by a large number of people.
JACOBABAD: A seminar to review violation of human rights in Sindh from January to October 2004 was held here on Friday. Members of human rights groups of the district attended the seminar.
The field officer of the Takhleeq Foundation, Mr. Majeed Thaheem, presented a report on violation of human rights, Jirga and honour killings in Sindh. Mr. Thaheem said honour killing had played havoc with the lives of innocent women and Jirga system had been chief instrumental in ending lives of helpless people.
He said the devolution plan of Gen Musharraf had failed to protect life and liberty of people in the country. Jabbar advocate, Raja Riaz, Akram Abro and Dr. A.G. Ansari demanded that jirga system and karo-kari be abolished and termed these practices of feudal system as illegal, immoral and un-Islamic.
The speakers emphasized the need for promoting literacy rate and creating awareness about fundamental rights of people.
Source: Dawn
Date:12/11/2004
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